Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 20 February 2024
20 Feb 2024 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Social Security
This must be a record, because I cannot think of a time—certainly not during my tenure in the Parliament—when so many nonsense debates have been brought forward in such a short period. At breakfast this morning, my 12-year-old daughter asked what we would debate in the chamber today, and I outlined what the debate was about. Her immediate response was, “Why are you talking about something that doesn’t affect people’s lives today? Why are you not talking about homelessness or hospital waiting lists?” It is interesting that a 12-year-old has more insight than the Scottish Government.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-12203, in the name of Shirley-Anne Somerville, on the paper “Building a New Scotland: Social security in ...
The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice (Shirley-Anne Somerville)
SNP
Thank you, Presiding Officer.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Can we have the cabinet secretary’s mic on? Your card does not seem to be registering, cabinet secretary. Do you want to take it out and put it back in agai...
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
Third time lucky, Presiding Officer. I am pleased to open today’s debate to highlight the Scottish Government’s proposals for a fairer and more dignified so...
Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Will the cabinet secretary accept an intervention?
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
I am happy to take an intervention from Paul O’Kane, who I am sure will tell us how UK Labour will stand up and ensure that we will have capital and revenue ...
Paul O’Kane
Lab
The cabinet secretary referred to the collective failure of past Tory and Labour Governments. She has heard me talk in the chamber about the callous approach...
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
I refer Paul O’Kane to my earlier quotation from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. I also point to the fact that the change that Labour claims to be bringing t...
Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP)
SNP
Does the cabinet secretary agree that Labour’s “No change” attitude is immensely detrimental to the people of Scotland, especially when that party will not c...
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
That is very disappointing. Kevin Stewart is quite correct to point to the fact that, when it comes to both of the main UK parties vying for number 10, there...
Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD)
LD
In an independent Scotland, what will the waits be for adult disability payment? Will they be shorter than they currently are, or will they be even longer?
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
As Mr Rennie well knows, we have made progress in cutting the processing times for child and adult disability payments. It is important to note that he also ...
Jeremy Balfour (Lothian) (Con)
Con
Will the member give way?
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
I am happy to give way to Jeremy Balfour if he would like to defend any of those policies, as he usually does.
Jeremy Balfour
Con
In the fantasy world of politics that we are living in for the next couple of hours, how long would it take, once independence happens, for everything to be ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Cabinet secretary, I can give you the time back.
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
I struggled to hear Mr Balfour because of the chuntering from Stephen Kerr behind him, but I am happy to go with what I think I heard. The challenge around ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
There is a bit of time in hand, so members will certainly get time back for any interventions. I call Jeremy Balfour to speak to and move amendment S6M-1220...
Jeremy Balfour (Lothian) (Con)
Con
This must be a record, because I cannot think of a time—certainly not during my tenure in the Parliament—when so many nonsense debates have been brought forw...
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
Will Jeremy Balfour give way?
Jeremy Balfour
Con
I will in a moment. In the past couple of weeks, we have spent valuable chamber time debating Scotland’s plan on the European Union—an organisation that we ...
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
I presume that Jeremy Balfour does not think that people in Scotland have not been impacted by the poverty that they have been pushed into by the Westminster...
Jeremy Balfour
Con
The cabinet secretary misses the point. The people of Scotland voted to stay part of the union. Let us have debates about the type of social security that we...
Kevin Stewart
SNP
Will Jeremy Balfour give way?
Jeremy Balfour
Con
No. Some of the cabinet secretary’s colleagues must be feeling a bit embarrassed that the Government has run out of ideas to this extent.
Kevin Stewart
SNP
Will the member give way now?
Jeremy Balfour
Con
No. I know for a fact that many SNP members are committed to making the lives of the Scottish people better in practical and tangible ways. For them, the pa...
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
SNP
Will the member give way?
Jeremy Balfour
Con
Hang on. The truth is that things have got really bad for the SNP. It has been in government for 17 years with nothing positive to show for it. Now, its fac...
Kevin Stewart
SNP
Will the member give way?